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My list of my top ten websites

INTRODUCTION

I've been using the internet since waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in the mid 90's, when all you could get was UNIX text-based websites. Thankfully, the internet has evolved a lot since then, and now we can do almost anything online that we can do in 'Meatspace'. Here's a list of my top 10 websites and why I've chosen them. The list isn't in order of preference!

(1) www.bbc.co.uk - My first port of call for the day's news, but also for educational resources. I've used the BBC website to learn basic Spanish and German for holidays, plus I'm always recommending EFL (English as a Foreign Language), literacy, numeracy and GCSE resources on the BBC to my students. I consider the BBC website to be an intranet - there are thousands of pages on pretty much every subject I can think of and I consider my licence fee to be value for money for the BBC online resources alone.

(2) www.moneysavingexpert.com - Martin Lewis' Moneysavingexpert website has saved me a fortune over the years. His clear guides to every kind of shopping, his weekly email newsletter and the huge array of forums have helped me to buy cheaper glasses, cheaper flights, use the internet to make a little extra money and even introduced me to Dooyoo!

(3) www.livejournal.com - My social network. I've never understood the appeal of Facebook, Myspace et al: Livejournal was one of the first social networks and, whilst very much an outsider these days, is still the best place for anything concerning cult TV/Film and fandoms. There are countless community groups on there, plus personal blogs (called journals). I've been on LJ for about 6 years, and I like it as I don't have to publish my real name or any personal details about myself. Conversely, I've made several really good friends in Real Life through Livejournal, so it's been good to me.

(4) www.swagbucks.com - One of several survey/online earning sites I use. I've been on Swagbucks for a couple of years now, and whilst it's had its ups and downs I've found it to be fun and a good way to earn Amazon vouchers to help me buy presents for family, friends, and myself!

(5) www.tripadvisor.co.uk - Whenever I'm planning a holiday I'll always go to Tripadvisor to help me narrow down my hotel selection. There have been controversies over whether reviews on there are genuine, but after using the site to guide me on hotel bookings in several countries I've never had any shocks on arrival at the hotel I finally selected, and neither have my friends who have used the site.

(6) www.youtube.com - Not the most original of choices, I'll grant you, but I've been using Youtube as an online learning resource for a long time. Thanks to videos on there I've learned how to crochet, bake and mastered many other skills besides. It's not perfect (the trolls who frequent the comments sections can be horrendously obnoxious) but it's free and there's an insane amount of good material on there.

(7) www.patient.co.uk - This is the website my GP refers me to for more information about my medical conditions. It was founded by two GPs and still appears to be an independent resource. With BigPharma becoming increasingly aggressive in their marketing strategies it's refreshing to find a source that gives me clear, easy-to-understand information free of any agenda to sell me anything.

(8) http://writeordie.com/ - A fun resource for any writer. I've used writeordie to help me push through writing blocks on many occasions. It's a very simple website - just a textbox for me to type in whatever I want to...the catch is that if you stop typing the page changes colour, and then, if you wait too long to get restarted, a horrendous, loud noise starts pouring out of your speakers: it could be a fire alarm, a baby crying or a burglar alarm. An amusing writing slaverdriver.

(9) http://radio.seti.org/ - I love listening to podcasts, particularly science podcasts. SETI post their own one every week via this website. The podcast used to be called Are We Alone? but now has the more general title of Big Picture Science. All previous episodes are available to download for free and cover all sorts of topics from astronomy to history, scepticism to health. Each episode is around an hour long and is presented by Seth Shostak (a SETI astronomer and lover of appalling puns) and Molly Bentley (the more sensible host!).

(10) http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/home - I'm not a fan of everything Google but their Cultural Institute is a wonderful resource that allows me to take online virtual tours of museums all over the world. I've 'visited' the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Acropolis museum in Athens and even the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar; somewhere I could never hope to get to in real life.

CONCLUSIONS

The internet is full of wonderful things. This is a list of the websites I learn from, earn from and enjoy. I hope it gives others some ideas of websites worth a visit.

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Making spare time pay.

Thinking about my favourite websites, I soon spotted a recurring theme - I seem to be money-saving obsessed! It was effortless to list ten of them that I most often visit, and put them together to share my experiences. Sadly I am not writing this as a multi-millionaire, so they will not transform your life, but they might save or earn you a few pounds and also give you a bit of fun...

1. Dooyoo (dooyoo.co.uk)I joined in May, and I can't understand why it took me so long. I am on the site every day when I have access to my computer and I am earning a really good amount from my writing and reads. Hopefully, the reason I get good numbers of reads is because I also read and rate in pretty substantial quantities (lots of alerts set up) and I love the community feel of the site - if I do my bit, then others do the same for me. The best thing about dooyoo is that whilst making a bit of pocket money, I'm also learning about products to buy and avoid and places to visit and avoid. For me, it's number 1. I wait until I hit the £50 mark and cash my miles in via direct payment to my bank account.

2. Quidco (quidco.com)I've been with Quidco since 2007 and have earned £2,715.93! Quidco is a cashback site, and I make all of my online purchases through the site with the exception of Amazon. By finding retailers, insurers, financial products etc that you want to buy on Quidco, and clicking through to their sites via Quidco, you earn cashback, either a percentage of your purchase or a fixed amount. My total has been boosted by 3 or 4 changes to tv/phone/broadband subscriptions, energy suppliers, changing insurers every year (for home, contents, travel, pets), whereby you can earn £50-£120 for a new contract. Therefore the site is best if you have no real brand or company loyalty, which definitely describes me. Quidco cashback is paid into my bank account whenever I have over £5 built up. The time between making the purchase and receiving payment can be anything up to 6 months, but I have had very, very few problems with the site, and all the issues I've had have always been resolved.

3. Valued Opinions (valuedopinions.co.uk)This is one of three survey sites I regularly use. I tend to get at least one invite per day via email, and of those I would guess that I qualify for about 1 in 4 on average. The process of qualification is usually quick, so I think that's a decent return. Surveys typically pay 50p to £1 and take between 10 and 25 minutes to complete. Rewards on the site are available in the form of e-vouchers, and can be redeemed from £10 for retailers including Boots, Sainsburys, Argos, John Lewis, Topshop etc. I redeem for Amazon vouchers, which can only be redeemed for £15 value. Since joining in May I have earned 2 x £15 vouchers, currently £11 towards my next one. I'm more than happy with that return.

4. My Survey (uk.mysurvey.com)I find My Survey has very similar statistics to Valued Opinions in terms of the nature, length and frequency of surveys offered to me. Since May I've earned £55 from this site, which is due to being qualified for three longer surveys which required keeping food diaries and reporting back. They were not overly time consuming but each one rewarded around £8 each. The thing I don't like as much about this site is that rewards are stated in 'points' for completing the survey so it's not as straightforward to quickly assess whether it's worth your while completing a 20 minute survey for 80 points for instance. 1100 points equates to a £10 amazon voucher, although on this site it is possible to redeem 550 for £5, so it's not as long to wait as other sites. Over 5 months I've completed 31 surveys, and I do seem to be getting qualified for more lately - not sure if that's coincedence or not. This site has been the more 'buggy' of the two main survey sites I use - links to surveys not working, even being kicked out of a survey after about 10 minutes of questions on one occasion for no reason.

5. OnePoll (onepoll.co.uk)I joined onepoll after reading a review on dooyoo, liking the sound of a survey site that took only a minute or so at a time with a smaller number of questions. OnePoll may put up around 5-10 surveys a day, which tend to pay 10 or 15p on average, but only usually comprise a handfull of questions. The nature of the polls is often more 'fun' based, the type of polls you read in the paper, for instance today answering questions about my views on proposals for marriage, and one about the state my handwriting! OnePoll don't alert you to new polls, so it's necessary to regularly visit the site each day to build up your funds. Payment is when £40 is reached, and I'm currently on £20.25 after 3.5 months (inculding a £2 joining bonus). I find that I only qualify for about half of the polls, as most seem to have an initial qualifying question around whether I have children or not. I don't, so I imagine a lot of their polls are family-related.

6. MSE (moneysavingexpert.co.uk)I subscribe to the MSE newsletter and dip into it depending on what headlines it carries each week. The site has great consumer information and personally I've had the most benefit from it in terms of financial products, which I sometimes struggle to understand - finding the best ISA, (well, understanding ISA's for a start!), best savings accounts, credit card deals and so on. I find that the site puts things in easy-to-understand language/terms without being patronising. There are good calculators and easy to use tools to help you find the best deals for your personal circumstances. There is heaps of consumer advice on the site and the forums on the site also cover a huge range of topics, I have often found answers to problems there. The other great thing about the site is that it's always on the ball in terms of retailer sales, offers and vouchers, both online and on the high street. This site really is an essential for anyone who is keen to save money wherever it can be saved as well as to find help and advice for one-off consumer issues.

7. Skyscanner (skyscanner.net)I don't take a huge amount of holidays, but I love to take breaks away whenever I can, and this is the main site I use for searching for flights. The site allows you to input your preferred flight details (departure, destination, dates) and returns the solutions from all flight operators - budget as well as main airlines. Once these results are returned, there is a panel above them telling you how much you could save by either changing departure or arrival airport (checks nearby airports) or by tweaking your dates. So if you're happy or able to be flexible in flight arrangements, this is the ideal site. I have never found a deal elsewhere on the internet which wasn't returned by the search engine. It's a real time as well as money saver if you take a few flights a year.

8. BzzAgent (bzzagent.co.uk)BzzAgent is another site I've joined by learning of it through dooyoo. It's a site that offers samples of products in return for your views, reports and reviews on them. I joined in July and have only had one "campaign" but I did enjoy it. I received heaps of free samples to share among friends as well as to trial myself, and in return I needed to try them out and write reports of my experiences as well as how I had spread the word about the product (facebook, twitter, face-to-face). There are lots of surveys to fill in initially, as well as several every month or so, to keep your interests and details fully up to date. The website isn't the most intuitive, but maybe this is down to me only having completed one campaign so far. I had problems remembering which parts of the site I needed to visit to complete the various actions. The site does require some level of concerted commitment when the campaigns come around, but I thought that it was fair enough for the quantity of the product I received.

9. Travelzoo (travelzoo.com/uk)Travelzoo is a site offering a big range of exclusive travel-related deals. These include UK breaks, hotels, days out, spas, flights, city breaks overseas up to five star holidays all over the world. The reason I like the site is the sheer range of deals available - meals in top restaurants down the road for £20 or holidays costing a couple of thousand pounds, saving several hundred. Having said all that, the reason it's down at number 9 is that I've only ever taken up two deals in two years!! I just love receiving the emails each week and dreaming, I guess. The deals I took up were a Michelin starred meal for half price and a weekend stay at Celtic Manor Resort which was at a rate I have never seen even closely matched elsewhere. Usually, there is a link to click through to gain the deal, giving an exclusive voucher code. The ones I've used have been very straightforward. If you enjoy taking breaks or days out and have flexibility in terms of dates then this is a fantastic site.

10. HotUK Deals (hotukdeals.com)This is a site I have fads of visiting regularly, then forget about it for months. I'm not a member of the site, only lurk, but members post any deals they find - whether on the high street or online - on the site, for items from cup a soups in Tesco, through all sorts of voucher codes, right up to furniture, top-price electrical goods or bikes. Deals are then rated for how "hot" they are in terms of how great a deal it is and how others rate it. Each deal has a button to click through to get the deal (if online). This site is very much a case of getting a 'lucky hit' for me - it's a matter of happening to drop on the site and spotting something I could do with on that particular day. For that reason, it's not a great note to end my "money saving" list on, because more often than not it results in me buying something I would otherwise not have spent on!!

I imagine that most of us on here are fairly like-minded, so I may not have opened any new avenues, but I enjoyed sharing my experiences, thanks for reading!

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My life on the web

My favourite websites are the ones I visit the most, frequently daily are fairly varied. Until I started this review, I didn't think I had a quick top 10 but now I realise that I definitely do and they include

1. Yahoo. The location of my personal email account. I have work email but keep work and personal separate now. Most of the survey sites send direct emails so its something I check daily. I have set up spam setting as had a really problem with it a couple of years ago. As I am quite "sad" I sort in the same way as I do at work, so have folders within it for "Utilities" "kids" "holidays" etc.

2. Money Saving Expert. Due to my on going efforts to become Mortgage free and live a frugal life, I use this site religiously for everything, from financial, utilities, holidays, shopping. The forums can usually solve any questions I have quickly. Also find it a very motivating website and community. (I have reviewed this separately in the past)

3. Nationwide. I like to check my mortgage and savings regularly, also when fixed terms are near the end, to look at different products. I use this a lot as it motivates my mortgage free mission. (I have reviewed this separately in the past)

4. Natwest. keeping an eye on exactly where my finances are and checking to ensure that I'm on budget. Very easy site to navigate, and can adjust standing orders using a card reader.

5. Adpoints. Click on about every other day at least and whizz through those ads for the free nectar points.

6. Doo Yoo. Obviously. If I have had a long hard day at work, I will rate only to keep up my rating.

7. Ciao. New to this site, but finding my way round, although still far from confident, and treat the same as Doo Yoo.

8. Ebay. My visits vary depending on what I am after. Currently not selling as last few months it was painful so taking a break. I frequently go to MSE, the ebay tricks and do a within 5 mile search, to see if there is any close by bargains. (I have reviewed this separately in the past)

9. Amazon. All my Gift cards are sent here. My Doo yoo and Ciao visits come up with some great present ideas which I put into my wish list. I then watch the price over several weeks and note it coming up and down, when I think I have an idea of its lowest, I wait till it reaches again before buying. You can write a note to yourself in order to keep track.

10. Open University. Currently finishing my Msc, therefore use this site to access learning materials, as well as their online library. Also find the module forums useful. My visits are particularly frequent at the moment as an assignment is due. (I have reviewed this separately in the past)

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Summary - just ten of my many favourite websites!

Like so many people, I use many websites most days. Here are ten of my favourites.

www.hipmunk.comThis is my favourite site for flight searches. Results, which are presented visually rather than as a boring list, can be sorted by travel time, price, or - my favourite - by "agony". It's an easy site to navigate, highly recommended.

www.britishexpats.comWith a life strewn across three continents, the BritishExpats fora have helped me streamline my life. For many years this was the only website I spent more than five minutes on daily. It's useful with a strong and mainly helpful community.

www.linkedin.comThis website is so much more than "Facebook for professionals". Nowadays it is truly a career must. I particularly enjoy the go-getting, motivational aspects to having a varied, professional network.

www.leanin.orgOne of my recent finds this organisation labels itself as a "global community" committed to encouraging and supporting women leaning in to their ambitions. I particularly enjoy the site's success stories.

www.myfitnesspal.comI learned about this website from a parenting magazine. It changed my life, instantly lifting my probable post-natal depression. The site is a boon to people aiming to lose weight and/or improve their fitness levels. The community is VERY supportive, and, again, there are wonderful motivation stories and pictures. And it helped me find my abs again &#9786;

www.allrecipes.comI was drawn to this recipe website when searching for a flourless chocolate cake. It's my go-to site when contemplate what to cook or when I'm searching for a little culinary inspiration. The user reviews on the site are excellent and very helpful.

http://prudentbaby.comPrudentBaby is a lifestyle/design/sewing/creative delight that keeps me in touch with my rarely-expressed crafty side.

http://studyspanish.com/I love languages! This website is well structured and very useful for those of us in the process of acquiring Spanish language skills.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/I'm probably a little more interested in earthquakes than your average Brit, as there is a fault line that runs beneath the garage of our southern Californian home. This website keeps me up to date with what tectonic activity has recently occurred. Of course it wont stop our house collapsing if a Big One comes along. But a little earthquake p.o.r.n keeps me mildly interested in the subject.

http://thechildrenofwestfaliaorphanage.com/This is a friend's site that details life and challenges in an orphanage in Peru. The infrequently-updated website keeps this orphanage's supporters up to date with the life and times of the children, and also serves as a useful reminder of Tesco's impervious expression: every little helps!

So there you have it. An insight into my little internet world.

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3 great websites to check out!

I love to write but i ADORE photography, im quite in to my art and illustration too so i put together this short little list of my 3 favourite websites that im a kind of addicted to, these websites below would interest any arty geeks like my self :)

Number 1. TUMBLR [ An amazing blogging site for photo bloggers who need inspiration on any topic you can think of, or if you just love to look at photos like me ]

Number 2. SOCIETY 6 [ a social network for artists, illustators and photographers so display and sell there work as prints, cards, T shirts, bags and much more. They do all the hard work for you, you just upload images of your work :) ]

Number 3. RED BUBBLE [ This one is similar to society 6, where you can upload any kind of art work, display it on line and make money if someone wants to buy it as a print or gift card etc, Its also great just to look at others artwork and get inspiration ]

3 GREAT Websites any creative lover should check out, anyone looking to display there work, make a but of money or even just browse at others amazing ideas :)

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The websites I use most

1. Of course has to be dooyoo.co.uk because I enjoy writing and reading reviews.

2. hellocotton.com- social networking for lady bloggers

3.blogger.com - For people who write blogs

4.ebay.com -- find lots of great stuff to buy and sell

5.carnaby.co.uk -- shops and services in and around Carnaby Street

6. topcashback--- my favourite cashback site where I do most of my online shopping

7. preloved.co.uk -- another site where you can buy or sell used or new goods, this is a classifieds sort of selling rather than auction.

8. consumerpulse-- I have been on this site for about four years now . You have to fill in a weekly survey about the products you buy and they reward you with gift vouchers. One of the best survey sites on the internet in my opinion.

9. wikipedia-- find out what you want to know about more or less anything.

10.pinterest.com-- you can `pin` your favourite websites on your own board and keep everything in one place. You can also share things with other members.

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Personal Preference - hopefully some might be useful for you

Top Ten Websites

Not in any particular order, but here is a list of my top ten websites and why they are so. Hopefully if you haven't heard of some they could be useful to you.

1) RightmoveAt the moment the wife and I are looking to move into another house and this website I feel is the best out there at the moment. Search by postcodes, area, distances, price limits etc you can refine your search to customise it to your specific needs.2) NatwestOnline banking at its finest. You can set savings goals; link all of your accounts together for quick and easy viewing. Can also open/ close accounts, set up payments and direct debits and even review your mortgage deal and if it has expired gives you the options to sign up to several deals on offer3) TVguide.co.ukWhen the wife is watching TV and gives me those devil eyes when I ask if anything else is on (you know the ones) a quick look at the TVguide will tell me everything I need to know so I can plan my watching. Excellent website, very easy to use and viewable content up to 7 days in advance.4) SquidooTrying to find a new hobby centred on writing articles / reviews / help guides but also writing about things that interest me also. Squidoo allows you to create mini web pages that you can add text / pictures etc to put your information across in a way you see fit.5) YoutubeProbably in most peoples top ten lists, but I love music and this is the easiest and quickest way to fulfil my musical needs. Very easy to search for what items you require, many with the videos or if like me you are closet Karaoke-er, you can find the same videos with lyrics to sing along to6) AmazonAgain, probably in most peoples lists, but needed in my own. I HATE shopping, the rigmarole of going out, fighting for car park spaces, getting bumped into in the shops, not getting what you intended really grates on me. Amazon lets me shop for gifts/ books / CD's etc from the comfort of my own sofa. Lazy shopping at its finest. What I like the best is the 1p book offers (mainly reference), granted you need to pay P+P but if you are patient you can find second hand books for pennies, that would otherwise have set you back a bit.7) WikipediaFor quick reference info i don't think there is a better website - my university tutor disagreed on many levels. Usually it's a good starting point on topics you take interest in, and then focus your research attention on more academic books / websites but an excellent website in my opinion.8) E-HowWhen you are stuck or unsure about something, or in need of advice or assistance this website is ideal. From fixing something, building something or technology help, this website will guide you step by step to success - it has helped me numerous times of head scratching9) The WestI have got to throw in a game lol. Become a Cowboy in the Wild West. Complete jobs and tasks from picking tobacco, putting up wanted posters or good old fashioned duelling. Each completion will provide experience points to help your character level up, and each level up will provide Skill and ability points that you can control what to spend on, which will further help in future jobs. You can join or create your own towns and create or join your own posse - become your very own Billy the Kid, aka, William H. Bonney, aka YOU!!!10) ZooplaIn line with us looking to move properties (see Rightmove (1)) this website provides information about the area you are looking at moving to. Schools, average price rates, public transport links, healthcare, crime rates etc. Everything you would and would not think about when you are searching for your dream home.

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Roosterteeth ftw!

These websites can be anything from reviewing websites The Guardian Newspaper to game news websites like IGN. We'll start at number ten and work our way up to number one; the best video game website.

10. Game Freakz

www.gamefreaks.co.nz

This New Zealand-based website is mainly for gaming news rather than reviews but they do have a nice selection of reviews too. Although a little late with it's news, this is a good place to go for in-depth descriptions of your favourite franchises. Also don't expect to find many sleeper-hits on here as this website mainly deals with AAA and mainstream games.

9. GameSpot UK

uk.gamespot.com

One of the best news and reviews websites from the UK. They cover most sleeper-hits and also most of your favourite AAA titles as well as a rumour blog where the community can get together to discuss rumours surrounding video games and even confirm them. However they still need to update the blog since the last post was from April 2012.

8. The Escapist Magazine

www.escapistmagazine.com

Time to go back to the other side of the world again as this website is based in Australia and is home to the infamous reviewer, Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw but better known as 'Zero Punctuation'. As well as news and reviews, The Escapist is home to many authors (including Yahtzee) who write interesting articles about video games like "Why Humour and Realism Don't Mix" and "Unpopular Gaming Opinions".

7. TotalBiscuit

www.youtube.com/user/TotalHalibut

Okay, maybe this isn't "technically" a website but this Youtube Channel is home to one of the most famed game reviewers, TotalBiscuit. Also known as TotalHalibut and The Cynical Brit. He provides a plethora of videos which include new releases, old releases, good releases and bad releases. It's worth subscribing to this legend of a gamer if you like laughs mixed with all of the seriousness of gaming.

6. Metacritic

www.metacritic.com

Metacritic is more of a general review site. Whilst reviewing many mainstream video games, Metacritic also reviews music, films and TV. The reviews are easy to understand, reliable and not short on variety. A brilliant site!

5. Eurogamer

www.eurogamer.net

The best Europe-based gaming website to go to for News, Reviews, Trailers and more! This is basically Europe's version of IGN. Just a general gaming website but also much more than meets the eye.

4. IGN Entertainment

www.ign.com

I bet you're wondering why this isn't first.. well it wouldn't be a very exciting list if the website that is first place was obvious. But still, even though it's fourth place, this website is a gem among the gaming community. Releasing the best news, reviews, gameplay videos and sneak peeks for many years, this website will always at-least be, in my top five.

(To save time, i'll shorten the top 3's descriptions so you can quickly get to number one!)

3. Kotaku

www.kotaku.com

This website is more for gaming news and viral videos than gaming reviews although if a game does get reviews positively Kotaku, you know that it's worth playing. Though the interface of the website is a little confusing, it's still worth a bookmark.

2. Machinima

www.machinima.com

The best website to go to for funny video game spoofs and viral videos. Also a reliable place to go for news updates! Now enough jibber-jabber; on to the one and only best video game-based website.

1. RoosterTeeth

www.roosterteeth.com

Yes that's right, this is my favourite website to go to for anything game-related, they've got it all. You name it, they do weekly podcasts, reviews, video reviews and much, much more! You should totally go look at what they have got in store, you won't regret it.

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Websites on games, videos and shopping!

For my 100th review, I've decided to look at the thing I spend my most time on and the reason why the likes of 'Dooyoo' and 'ciao!' exist in the first place- the internet! Never can you find a bigger library of information and entertainment in the world than from the comfort of your own computer. Therefore I've decided to reveal, in no particular order, my top ten websites on the internet. I'll admit that a lot of the popular/more-predictable ones might make an appearance but who knows, a couple might get your interest...

Ebay: Ah yes, the huge online auction site. You can find so many bargains on here, whether it's a generic piece of clothing or a rare collection of coins. Then of course there's the opportunity to sell off unwanted items or even set up your own business if you're dedicated. Obviously eBay is home to ripoff items and scammers but with such a huge market covered that is inevitable. I come here not only to buy but also browse items that I might want to buy or sell in the future.

GameFAQs: Forget spending money on expensive strategy guides, this is the place to go if you need help on video games! GameFAQs is home to walkthroughs of thousands of games across all platforms: free, text-based guides that have been uploaded by dedicated gamers, giving you step-by-step instructions and tips throughout. Some people write just an FAQ for games, some write specialized guides (e.g. for minigames or bosses), and some will upload images of maps for those pesky dungeons and open areas. There are also forums for various topics (including other than video games) and a questions and answers section to get specific help that walkthroughs may not cover. A very helpful website indeed!

TV Tropes: An encyclopaedic website that details explanations and examples of tropes in media. Tropes are like tools in fiction and for the most part, real life. The websites works a lot like Wikipedia but, as the home page says is "a buttload more informal" in covering television shows, films, music, video games and more. I love looking up a television show or video game and seeing what tropes apply to its production or characters, or seeing how a certain trope applies to different media, for hours on end!

Amazon: What more can be said about this site, really? It's a website that sells (almost) everything and has expanded rapidly from just selling books. Now, Amazon is a first stop (even to eBay) if I want to buy or browse online, especially since most books can be found on the Marketplace for pennies. The easy availability of gift certificates either through Dooyoo or many survey sites means that most times I'm purchasing a lot of stuff for free!

That Guy With The Glasses: What is this site? It is a host of various webshows related to reviews of television shows (both live action and animated), video games, films, comic books music. The titular 'That Guy With The Glasses' is Doug Walker who is the main producer and star of the site with his show 'The Nostalgia Critic', a hilarious review show on films and tv shows of the 80s and 90s. People growing up in those decades like myself will love the show, but also should take at the other web shows by different producers depending on your interests. The web producers are all dedicated people and can be really funny. It's definitely an ideal website for young, geeky adults (emphasis on adults here- many of the webshows have strong language and quite mature humour).

Facebook: Again, another website where not a lot more can be said. Sure, a lot of stupid people can say/do/upload pictures of stupid things on facebook, but nevertheless it's still a great way of keeping contact with friends worldwide, see what people are up to and follow the pages of your various interests. The fact that many companies and individuals are using facebook as a publicising tool is testament to its influence on our current society. For me, it's my primary way of finding out news around the world, either through page links or people's soapbox opinions (sometimes not always well-construed!).

Moneysavingexpert: It was quite close as whether I should list this or HotUKDeals, but I believe in terms of general financial help MSE is most useful. Set up by financial expert Martin Lewis, this website provides invaluable help on saving money in different aspects: choosing the best value bank accounts, saving efficiently, paying debts efficiently, and increasing your income. This is the site I thank for allowing me to discover websites that help earn a little bit of extra on the side- including the one you're reading this piece on right now!

Youtube: I've been a fan of Youtube since about 2006 and it's amazing how much this video website has expanded. It's still a place where you can find videos of absolute stupidty and hilarious 30 second pratfalls, but now you can watch music videos, web shows, tv show clips and video game playthroughs (commonly known as 'Let's Plays'). It is a platform for finding both serious and comical things to the point where people can early money for uploading videos on whatever they do best and, like facebook, is another go-to place for news and advertising.

Google: The ultimate search engine and then some! Google not only finds anything I want to look up- most of which I find an answer to on the first page of results- but also provides me with maps, price comparison guides and even book snippets (very useful for essay bibliographies). The sheer convenience and speed of Google means that it has been my internet home page for the past eight years of internet browsing.

Hotmail: Even if you hate every other aspect of the internet (in which case, why are you here?) you have to admit that email is one the fastest methods of contact worldwide. Without an email address, whether on here or gmail, yahoo mail etc., you can't even participate on many of these websites listed here. For me, hotmail is a dependable email server that has worked efficiently for many years. It has allowed me to keep updated on my favourite website and allows me to connect with people around the world at a click of a mouse (or touch of the pad).

So these are my top ten websites. I don't visit all of them daily but I refer back to them when needed to and haven't found any brilliant alternatives to any of them. Have some piqued your fancy? Maybe you don't like any of them. Well that's your opinion- but mine is that these websites are and will always be invaluable to my daily life.

Thanks for reading!

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The internet is a huge place, there's something for everyone!

I decided to do this as I have a bit of spare time but my mind isn't functioning well enough to write a review. Also, my internet visits will give an insight into my mind if anybody wishes to get to know me a bit better. So, in alphabetical order:

-Amazon-For finding things to buy and things to dream about. I've spent a lot of time on Amazon recently, deciding what my future Dooyoo vouchers will be used for.

-Dooyoo-Next up, Dooyoo! Writing reviews can only be beneficial for my mind, I get a bit of money and self-esteem, I learn lots about products, and of course there is a wonderful community to talk to! I love you people, and your contributions to Dooyoo have made me a happier person.

-Facebook-I don't use Facebook anywhere near as much as I used to, but I still check once a day for any notifications (usually friends sharing songs with me) and have the occasional conversation.

-Google-Google is my search engine of choice, and where would we be without search engines? It's simple, quick, and has some inspiring Google Doodles.

-Got-Djent-got-djent.com is a website for people who enjoy a little genre of music called djent. It features news about djent bands and forums. The majority of us on the forums are musicians with an obsession with experimentation and complex rhythms, and I've learned a lot about recording from the more experienced members. It's quite a small, homely community.

-GuitarGuitar-GuitarGuitar.co.uk is, quite shockingly, about guitars. More specifically, it sells them. If anybody here happens to work there... a free PRS would be much appreciated ;)

-SoundCloud-SoundCloud is a website where people can share their music and general sounds for free. My music has been listened to in countries I never knew existed, and the layout is simple but extremely effective. If anyone is interested in hearing my musical nonsense, there's a wide variety of genres at http://soundcloud.com/callum-martinmoore . Any feedback is very welcome, whether positive or negative!

-Twitter + TwitLonger-Enough self-promotion, and on to the next two websites. Twitter is a brilliant way to find like-minded people from all around the world. I've learned how to say 'conservatory' in Danish ('udestue', if you happen to be interested) from a fellow Florence + the Machine fan who lives in Copenhagen, had conversations with a huge variety of people, and kept up with my local friends. The limit of 140 characters per tweet means that a single message in a decent conversation with somebody talkative could take 10 tweets to finish. TwitLonger saves the day here as it lets you type for as long as you wish, and just tweets a small link to the rest of the message when you get near the 140 character limit.

-YouTube-Last but not least, is YouTube, which I imagine you are all familar with. It's far too easy to spend hour after hour clicking through related videos and finding new music and live performances of my favourite bands. There's some decent comedy and some useful factual videos too.

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I really enjoy reading about other people's favourite websites and I have picked up a few interesting suggestions from Dooyoo members before.Here are my 10 top websites; I hope you find something you like too!

www.boden.co.uk I absolutely love Boden clothes but I rarely indulge. However I really love fantasizing about what I might buy if I won the lottery or lost 2 stone! It's a really essay website to navigate and I particularly like how you can zoom on items and have a good look at the details. I also find it very handy to be able to tell straight away if an item is available in your size and colour.

www.ebay.co.uk Whoever invented EBay is my hero! I try to sell anything we don't need any more, any clothes the children have outgrown and over the years I have probably made a small fortune. I also always check EBay before I pay full price for something on another website. Yesterday I bought a new Bare Minerals make-up brush for 99p. They normally retail at £19.99!

www.bbcgoodfood.com This is a great website for anybody who enjoys cooking or who has ran out of ideas on how to feed their family! I particularly like the fact you can focus on one ingredient ( say chicken or mince) and it will suggests dozens if not hundred of recipes using this ingredient. All recipes have been tested and are very reliable. The preparation time is also very realistic and the reader's comments and suggestions are very useful.

www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish I am currently trying to improve my Spanish and I spend some time everyday working on my language skills. The language activities here are very good quality and very relevant to my needs. I am hooked on "Mi vida loca", a short interactive course based in Madrid and full of drama and mystery!

www.tripadvisor.co.uk I sometimes wonder how I managed when Tripadvisor did not exist??? On Tripadvisor you can read reviews on any hotel/ restaurant/ tourist attraction in the world. Of course you have to take some of the reviews with a pinch of salt but usually you get a pretty good feel about of a place and what it's like if you read a few reviews. I never book a hotel without checking reviews on Tripadvisor and when I go somewhere new I always compile a list of possible restaurants or places to visit. Some suggestions I have picked up from this website have been truly inspired and I am glad I followed the recommendations of Tripadvisor members! (I also have fun looking at the very worst reviews!! Pick a city and then go to the lowest rated hotels....so funny...and terrifying!)

www.nytimes.com My son is always reading the New York Times on line and I'm afraid I've picked up this habit too. Unfortunately there is a limit of how many feature articles you are allowed to read without subscribing. Having said that, my favourite section is the "movies" ( under "arts") as I think they are particularly insightful reviews and they are usually about films that have not come out here yet. I also enjoy their book reviews and their best-seller lists.

www.amazon.co.uk Again, how did I survive before Amazon? I love books and I love the fact that Amazon always recommends new reads, based on your viewing history. I enjoy coming across books I would love to read and saving them in my wish list. I can send books and music I love to friends and family around the world and one-click ordering just makes my life easy!

www.people.com My guilty pleasure! Who does not like a bit of celebrity gossip?

www.freetetris.org A little old-fashioned I know but I still love Tetris and it clears my mind!

And last but not least, I always try to spread the word about:

freerice.com Freerice is a non-profit website that is owned by and supports the United Nations World Food Programme. It is particularly good for school children as you choose a subject you would like to revise and every time you get the answer right, 10 gr of rice are donated to hungry children. I love the language learning section ( French, Italian, German, Spanish) and my children used it to practice their multiplication tables to death. You can keep track of your progress and see the rice you are donating accumulate. Please pass this on if you have any school age children or if you know any teachers!!

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Hope you decide to check out some of these websites if you don't already use them

This is my top 10 favourite websites purely based on what I like to use so this is basically just gonna be a boring ramble about me haha! There are three main ones listed below and others that I visit less often.

1. Facebook - this is a website I use everyday and love because I can keep in contact and talk to all of my friends just through this one website. This is such a popular website and most people have it, it is also great for using on your mobile or iPod just by downloading a simple free app. It is completely free to sign up to and I love being able to see what my friends are posting and have the opportunity to get involved and maybe talk to friends that I'm not as close to.

I think what puts a lot of people off Facebook is the fact that other people can see how many friends you have and it can sometimes be seen as a sort of 'competition' in ways. The average amount of Facebook friends people have is said to be around 100, and throughout the world every 20 minute 1.972 million friend requests are accepted. Is Facebook a big part of our world? Well, considering 1 in every 13 people on Earth have a Facebook account so to be honest I think that's quite a lot.

2. Twitter - this is my next favourite website because I love the way you can just tweet things that don't really make sense or have any meaning but it doesn't matter because you are just updating your followers about what you're up to in life. Twitter may not appeal to a lot of people because anybody can follow you, when you might not know them in person or have ever spoken to them before. However, I think this makes it more fun and surely that makes you care less about what people will think of you. If you write something that people might judge you on, then you don't have to go and see them at work or school the next day.

Twitter was originally started off as a website for a company only to use, with it's original name twttr. However, they soon realised what a hit this site could be and well, they were right. Lady Gaga has the most followers on twitter at 12 million.

3. YouTube - I honestly don't know anybody that doesn't like this website, what's there to hate? You can create your own videos to share and watch other people's. The videos on YouTube range from comedy to vlogging to even educational videos, teaching you how to learn an instrument or an art. One of my favourite people on YouTube is Jenna Marbles who posts hilarious videos! It is very easy to gain fame from this website because your videos are posted worldwide and people can share and talk about it via social networking sites or just simply talking about it.

4. DooYoo - of course how could I forget this site ;) I love being able to write reviews on this website even if I'm not very good at it, because it's an enjoyable way to spend my time and I'm trying to earn enough money to give to charity. The only thing I don't like is getting mean comments from people but then again who would like that.

5. Tumblr - Tumblr is a website used for people to post photos and create their own blogs. You can follow other people like you can on Twitter and reblog photos and posts onto your own blog. Many people have themed blogs on Tumblr like summer themed where they post summer pictures and write about summer. This website is also good for businesses who want to get the word out about what they do.

6. Google - This is a website I use for like anything I want to find out. For example, if I want to know an answer to a sum or a translation from a different language, I just type it into google and it will come up with lists of options that might have the answer you're looking for. This is so useful and helps you to find other websites like this one!

7. AOL - I use this website for one of my email accounts and whenever I got to log in it always has a selection of news articles at the side. Other members of my family also use this website and we all agree that the stories it shows are really interesting and catch your eye very easily, distracting you from doing what you went in for!

8. Amazon - I love this website so much! If I ever need something like a book or CD it's always the first place I got to for finding a good product with a suitable price. It also compares prices and gives you other recommendations that suit you well based on what you have been searching. Whoever created this site is a genius!

9. Ebay - this is so useful if you want to buy something for a good price ranging from clothes to cars! People can sometimes be put off by the second hand aspect, but a lot of products on the website are sold from brand new! I use Ebay mainly for selling things I no longer want and can make money out of. It's so useful and many home businesses are run on Ebay.

10. Yahoo - The reason I say this is because whenever I need help with something like a technical problem, I type it into Google and it always comes up with a Yahoo Answers link. This relieves me because it helps to know you're not the only one having that problem and you can check out all the different answers that are given.

Thankyou sososososo much for reading this! please rate and comment if you have any queries I'd love to hear them thans again! :)

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A top ten of my favs to share.

This is my own personal top ten websites that i use most often and are abig part of my life.

1. Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/) My personal expeience of facebook is great, I have made contact with many lost friends throughout the years and its a great way to keep up the communication even if they are many miles away. I also have family across the world and its a great way to share photos and updates. I am also very addicted to facebook games.

2. Youtube (www.youtube.com/) This has been a great help with my life, if you want to find out what a hotel, attaction, place looks like, you can find videos of these. Also if you need instructions for anything, check out youtube.

3. BBC iplayer (www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer) Working full time i get to miss alot of programmes but now i don't need to miss them.

4. Google Maps (http://maps.google.co.uk/) Always handy when you need to find a place and i use this on a regular basis, easy to use to get directions. Also about of info, there is a photo of my and my family on google maps at longlette safari Park.

5. Quidco.co.uk (www.Quidco.co.uk) If you shop through this site you receive cashback, I always use this site or similar ones when shopping online. I paid for my holiday to florida through a site on quidco and received a total of £126 in cash back. If you have an iphone you can use a app and get cash back and discounts in shops.

6. Ebay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/) What would i do without ebay, ive sold many things and made some cash to spend on other things, lol yes probally back on ebay.

7.Slimmingworld (http://www.slimmingworld.com/) I am a member of slimmingworld and this site has helped me loads with new receipe ideas and support.

8. Tripadvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/) I do not book anything unless i check out Tripadvisor it really makes any trips alot better when you have more of any idea on what to expect. I also add my own point of view to help others.

9. 888Ladies Bingo (http://www.888ladies.com/) My favourite Bingo site, I have won many games on here, i have won more than i have put in which is great. The site is so easy to use and members are very helpful and friendly.

10. Myvouchercodes (ww.myvouchercodes.co.uk/) As well as quidco i always check this site before purchasing anything online incase i can get any discount or offers. I use the site alot for pizza hut vouchers.

Thanks for looking at my tope ten websites and getting abit of an insight into my life.

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Ten good ones

I can't imagine there are many out there that aren't familiar with the likes of YouTube, Google and Facebook so I'll try and give you ten you might not be familiar with, in no particular order. If you are unfamiliar with the above sites it might be time to snuff out the candle and head off to bed gramps!

1)yougov.co.uk - An online survey site, these are usuallally paid surveys between 25p and 75p, occasionally a longer survey may give you a five pound Amazon voucher. They also usually give you the option to spend your points on prize draws. (Although I never win on these, I just accumalate the points now.) I have recently cashed in £50.00.

2)readitswapit.co.uk - A great site for book fans, swap books for free with fellow members. See my seperate review for more details. Highly recommended.

3)swapshop.co.uk - Another free swaps site anything from Dvds to games and books, get new stuff for your old stuff, works on a credits system so you can buy extras if you don't have enough for the item you want.

4)rightmove.co.uk - Find houses to buy or rent, look in the UK or check out fantasy houses abroad. An apartment on a Greek island for about £25,000, I could jack my job in and live in the sun with DooYoo profits! Hope my wife aggrees, watch this space.

5)wikipedia.com - An online encyclopedia. pretty much a page for any topic you can imagine. Can be a little biased as the entrys are written by the 'Internet community' but very useful nontheless. How did we ever find stuff out before we had things like this?

6)AuctionAlfie.com - Search all the auction sites in one place. basically this amalgamates Gumtree, ebay, Amazon marketplace etc into one place saving your typing fingers.

7) lego.com - I admit I haven't had a good look around this site, but it's lego, its online and it takes me back to childhood days, which set shall I put on my Christmas list, hmm.

8) miniclip.com - An absolute wealth of free games, from commando to club penguin, watch in amazement as hours of your life disappear. Have a go at the pool game, I challenge you to only have one go. Very addictive, who needs x-box anyway?

9) skyscanner.com - see which airlines fly to and from your destination then compare in order of price. Very useful way of arranging your own holidays without traipsing through 50 airline websites. I think they have now branched out into hotels and car hire.

10) Lovemoney.com - Similar to other moneysaving or comparison sites but with useful tips on scams to avoid and money saving tips. I give this one the nod over others as it saved me from an Amazon phishing scam doing the rounds. (I got the Phishing e-mail the same day as I had read about it on here). I am also a fan of martins money saving and moneysuperkarket.

Hope there are one or two above that you haven't tried and that are of interest to you. Please message me if you have any you think I might like.